Being the FLOTUS comes with a lot of responsibility (and, obviously, some privilege, too). No one knows this better right now than Michelle Obama. Still, with her intelligence, grace, sense of style, and inspirational outlook on life, Ms. Obama has been handling the chore impeccably for the past several years. That’s why we’ve decided to celebrate her today, with a small collection of the most poignant Michelle Obama photos of all time. Enjoy the candid, the stylish, the funny, and the thought-provoking pics in the gallery below!

6. Michelle Obama in the green Marchesa dress

This is one of the First Lady’s best fashion moments, as well as one of the most poignant Michelle Obama photos of all time – if for no other reason, then just for how radiant both her and her husband look. The two were stepping out in style for the evening, in order to attend the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013. That night, Michelle wore an acclaimed, regal Marchesa dress which brought out her natural good looks.

5. Michelle and her lovely daughters

The 2013 Presidential Inauguration was an amazing photo opportunity for everyone present on the scene – and, first and foremost, for the country’s number one family. For our list, we settled on this lovely photo of the Obama ladies, looking almost royal in their beautiful coats, as they arrived for the event. In case you care about designers, labels, and such, you might want to know that Sasha is wearing a periwinkle Peatrice coat by Kate Spade New York, Malia is wearing a coat from J. Crew, while the First Lady is sporting Thom Browne, with J. Crew gloves.

4. Michelle Obama with Barrack, back when they were dating

Check out the POTUS’s Christmas sweater! Get a load of the look on his face! We’re not exactly sure when this pic was snapped up, but it’s candid and endearing – not to mention the fact that Michelle looks great. By all accounts, it was taken when the couple was still dating, so it must be somewhere in the very early nineties (something like 1990 to 1992).

3. Michelle Obama’s second visit at the Buckingham Palace

This one is among the most poignant Michelle Obama photos out there, because it also speaks volumes of her evolution in style. In 2009, during her first visit at the British Royal Palace, Michelle wore a simple black sweater and skirt, which attracted criticism for being too simple. The second time around, though, she donned a gorgeous J. Mendel jacket, which cost almost $7,000! (PS: Yes, the stylish First Lady pays for all her clothes herself.)

2. Michelle Obama, new White House dog Sunny & the little girl

This photo of Michelle Obama is actually more endearing for what happened after it was snapped. The story goes as follows: in early December, the FLOTUS has a traditional dinner, where she invites kids to decorate Christmas ornaments. This year, though, the new Obama dog Sunny got a bit overly excited upon meeting Ashtyn Gardner, this precious two year-old little girl from Mobile, Alabama. He jumped on her, the girl fell, and for a while there it looked like the situation would spiral out of control. At the end of the day, though, the girl got a hug from Michelle and it was all okay.

1. Michelle Obama & Stephanie Kyriazis revert the past

At the top of our list of poignant Michelle Obama photos stands this pic, snapped on May 16, 2014. In it, the FLOTUS stands with Stephanie Kyriazis, Chief of Interpretation and Education, at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, in Topeka, Kansas. The picture is actually a wonderful reminder of how far America has come, in terms of doing away with racial segregation and improving civil rights. Imagine that only five decades ago, Ms. Obama and the woman in front of her wouldn’t have been allowed to use the same bathroom!